This home was built for Dr. Thomas W. Shelly circa 1886. Its Victorian porch posts and railings are typical of the finer homes of the era and, in this case, have been beautifully maintained. It represents a link between the plainer forms of the early Victorian period and the more intricate ornamentation associated with the popular Queen Anne style. James F. Sealy purchased the house in 1906 and his family lived here until the late 1970s.
Cuthbert Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Very impressive and beautiful house. I love the front porch and gable.
I have an elderly neighbor (88) in Midway, GA, whose married last name is Brazzell, but her husband died some 35 years ago, and I do not know the origins of that name. She was originally a Harville from Statesboro, whose father’s brother’s big house is in your blog somewhere.
There is also a lawyer of my acquaintance in Savannah whose married last name is Braziel, surely a variation of whatever the original spelling was. The tiny town of Rochelle, south of Macon and a few miles east of Cordele, had a long-time business in their two-block downtown named Braziel’s Mercantile, but it’s been closed for some time. My Savannah friend says there’s no connection that she is aware of between that business and her former husband’s family; but that’s the only other Braziel I know of.
Spellings often change over time, as handwritings do along with interpretations thereof. The joke in my family is that, while we may be related to the folks named Sims, Simms, Sams and Symms, we don’t claim them, as they obviously don’t know how to spell it correctly!
Rafe Semmes
Midway GA
Good Morning Where does the name Brazeal come from? Anne
On Tue, Mar 12, 2024 at 10:38 AM Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian
You were reading my mind, Anne, and I’m not sure. I got what little information I have from a driving tour brochure and, of course, nothing about Brazeal. It’s often the case with houses with multiple owners that this happens, unfortunately. Someone will likely know and share at some point.